Over the Edge
by lostinwriting23
Summary: Just over Jester's shoulder, she turns in time to watch a glassy-eyed Beau tumble over the edge of the bridge and into the infinite darkness below. Her vision goes red. A quick insert from the first time any of them falls over the edge of that damned bridge. Campaign 2 Episode 68


Hey friend,

Ooh baby, Episode 68 was a doozy and oh, did I love every second of it. I really have no idea how this came about, just watching how everyone reacted when Beau went over and imagining Jester's reactions kind of culminated in this. So let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy!

3,

M

XXX

As the whispers subside, their tendrils sliding invisibly from her ears, Yasha feels a tug on the rope behind her. Just over Jester's shoulder, she turns in time to watch a glassy-eyed Beau tumble over the edge of the bridge and into the infinite darkness below.

Her vision goes red. It takes everything in her not to scream. It's like she's raging but instead of anger feeding the pump of her muscles, it's a cloying terror that claws its way up her throat and she thanks the Storm Lord and any other god who is listening that she and Jester are the ones closest.

The rope goes taut around their waists, everyone heaves a few feet to the right. Jester lets out a high pitched gasp that she manages to catch in her hands over her mouth before it grows to anything louder and Caleb grunts at the tug of the rope, eyes wide as his knuckles go white around the rope.

As one, Yasha and Jester dig their heels in, doing together more than the three boys on the other side manage to do. Fjord comes to it a little late and so does Nott, having been taken over in a different way from the whispers but their assistance hardly seems to matter. Yasha thinks she can feel Jester trembling in fear next to her and tries to let the blood pumping through her ears drown out the fear of pleasenopleasenopleasenopleaseno.

They pull up on the rope for what feels like forever until, finally, Beau's legs appear over the side of the bridge and she and Jester lunge forward together, blue and white fingers stark against the deep tan skin of the monk's leg and they don't loosen until both feet are planted firmly on the dark stone.

Her hands are clasped over her mouth as they pull Beau back up right, blue eyes wide and filled with tears that Yasha's sure she doesn't want the rest of them to see as she ducks her head. There are a few scrapes on her arms and forehead from pulling her back over the side, against rough stone and metal, and an angry red mark on her skin, below her top where the rope cut into her but otherwise, Beau seems unscathed and back to herself. The pounding in Yasha's ears lessens and she takes her first breath since Beau went over.

Caleb claps a hand on the monk's shoulder and squeezes until the tips of his fingers blanch white. Jester spits rapid fire questions at a high pitched whisper, checking over Beau's arms and face, Caduces and Fjord watching on from where they'd all been clumped together. And Yasha. Yasha just stares, both hands in fists at her side. Watches the way Beau ducks Jester's gentle attempt to heal, the way her shoulders heave as she tries to control her breathing again, watches every step Beau takes back on solid ground.

Thank you. She thinks as loud as she can. She doesn't know if the Storm Lord can hear her down here, so far from his domain but she thinks it any way, Thank you thank you. She's not sure what more there is to say.

There's a whimpering behind them, "I- I- I-" Nott stands at the head of the group, clawed hands wringing together as her wet, wide, yellow eyes flicker around the group, beseeching first Caleb then Jester, Fjord, back to Caleb.

Yasha and Caduces both jerk around, pressing fingers over lips until Nott's usual screeching voice drops to a whisper, "I don't know if I can do this anymore. This is scary and I don't like it." It's been so long since they've dealt with not-drunk Nott and Yasha had forgotten just how timid sober Nott could be. A problem on either front.

Beau's face is desperate as she motions for Nott to quiet down again, a single tear having overflowed that she hastily brushes away. Yasha's brow furrows a bit as Nott continues.

"I don't want to go anymore. I don't want to go anymore," It sounds like there are tears in Nott's eyes too and it's not like any of them want to keep going, but this is the path they've chosen. The path they've set themselves on and all the terror they've faced so far will not be in vain. Yasha will not have them have almost lost Beau for nothing.

"Nott, you have to," She murmurs as loud as she dares, dropping to one knee to be on the goblin's level, "We either have to go back the same amount or we go forward the same amount," Behind her eyes she sees again and again as Beau topples over the side of the rope, feels Jester trembling with fear at her side. No. They're not doing this again, "We're closer to the other side of the bridge. Let's go. Move." It comes out harsher than she means it to, but then, most things do. A part of her feels guilty but something in her tone makes Nott straighten up a little, huge, bat-like ears flicking back a little in… fear? Acceptance? Yasha can't tell.

"Okay if you're going to use that voice, sure."

Slowly and quietly, the Mighty Nein untangle themselves from the knot they'd gathered themselves in. As they go, Beau's fingers brushed the backs of Yasha's knuckles and before she can think much else, Yasha finds herself wrapping her fingers around Beau's and squeezing hard.

"Thanks," she rasps out, so quiet Yasha almost misses it over the elevated breathing of the rest of their party.

"Don't do that again," Yasha growls back, tightening her grip a little and then softening when Beau looks up into her eyes, "Please."

Beau tries to shoot back a cocky grin but it's barely an uptick of her lips, eyes still wide with fear, "Do my best."

They're interrupted by Jester gathering Beau up into a quick hug that Beau returns with more gusto than she normally would let anyone else see. Jester whispers something no one else can hear and the smile on Beau's face turns a little more genuine. She nods and mumbles something back before knocking the side of her head against one of Jester's horns and backing up into her place in line.

Yasha takes one more look back at the rest of the party, another reassurance that they're all together, before turning to follow Nott's silent footsteps into the darkness.


End file.
